Good Morning
by Tanya Reed
Summary: Niles and CC have the Sheffield house to themselves for the weekend. Takes place about two weeks after "The Dummy Twins".


Niles softly hummed to himself as he stirred up batter for pancakes. With the Sheffields all gone for the weekend, the house around him was eerily quiet, but it didn't feel empty.

He smiled as he thought of the blond he had left peacefully sleeping in his bed. It was their first time truly alone, and he was enjoying not having to hide or pretend.

It had taken them twenty years to get to this point. Twenty years of dancing around an attraction that wasn't supposed to be and pretending it was hate. There had been times he had thought about breaking through their wall of animosity and admitting how he felt, but the knowledge of her possible reaction had stopped him. His self control only slipped when he was drinking, so he tried to drink as little as possible around her.

If he had known things between them would be this good, he would have pushed her against a wall and made his feelings known on no uncertain terms years ago. She might have slapped him or belittled him, but she just might have kissed him back.

He flushed with warmth as he thought of all the things they'd been doing in the two weeks since he'd laid it all on the line and told her how he felt. It seemed like some sort of exquisite dream, and Miss Babcock—CC—had taken to love like a sponge to water. It thrilled him to look into eyes that had once been dull with sadness and know that he was the one who had lit a spark there.

His musings were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

"Niles?" Her voice still sounded sleepy and husky.

He looked up to answer her but his breath caught and he couldn't. She was standing there wearing nothing but his shirt. Niles had seen CC in many states of dress and undress, but he had never seen her looking as sexy as she did at that moment.

It was just one of his old work shirts, retired and moved to the back of his closet. Pale blue, with buttons up the front, buttons that were only half done up. Since CC and he were of a height, the shirt just brushed the tops of her thighs, leaving her long, glorious legs bare. She had rolled up the sleeves slightly, and thin cotton clung to her curves, giving a hint of the lushness beneath.

She was so beautiful.

As Niles stared at the woman who had spent the night in his arms, he couldn't help but wonder what she saw in him. She could have had anyone—Mr. Sheffield excluded—and yet she was happily loving a stout, penniless butler ten years her senior.

"Are you making breakfast?" she asked, rubbing her face like a little girl.

All the money she spent on make up, and without any she took his breath away.

"Yes," he managed to get out around the lump in his throat.

"You should have woken me."

"You were sleeping so soundly."

"It's all that exercise. It wore me out." She flashed him a wicked look, turning her face from innocent angel to sexy devil, and laughed.

Niles smiled in answer, the warmth in his heart traveling decidedly lower. "Are pancakes all right?"

"I love pancakes."

"Yes, I know." He knew everything about her. After twenty years, he probably knew her better than she knew herself.

"Are you putting blueberries in them?" She came over and looked at him hopefully across the counter.

At least with her legs hidden, he could think and move again. "Of course."

Her face lit up, and Niles almost regretted all the years he had wasted teasing her instead of bringing out that look of happiness.

"I love you." It just slipped out. He had been trying to avoid it because he didn't know how she'd react. Sex to CC Babcock was just sex, but love was something else altogether.

"You don't have to say that, Butler Boy. You've already got me where you want me," she said flippantly, turning away.

Niles swallowed protests of devotion and replied, "Right where you want to be, if your performance last night was any indication."

She laughed again, glancing at him and blushing slightly. "What can I say, I just really like whipped cream."

Niles smirked and went around the counter to the stove. He could feel her watching him as he got a frying pan ready and started pouring in the batter. She was so silent, he wondered what she was thinking. A silent CC Babcock was an unusual thing.

He felt her come up behind him and could smell the faint lingering scent of her perfume, so he was not surprised when her arms went around him and she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"I love your pancakes. You've never made them for just me before." Her stomach gurgled to emphasize her point.

"Why, Miss Babcock, whatever have you been doing to work up such an appetite?" he asked in amusement, running a hand tenderly across her bare forearm.

She turned her face into his neck and kissed it before softly whispering in his ear, "The butler did it."

Niles chuckled but it died as she continued to kiss him. His throat went dry when she flicked out her tongue.

"Miss Babcock..."

"Yes?"

"Would you retrieve the syrup, please?"

She let out an amused breath against his neck before gently biting his ear. "All right, Hazel."

When she let him go, he turned to watch her walk away. Once more, he was filled with disbelief that she was actually his. Somehow, he had to find a way to make her his forever.

At the sub zero, she turned and lifted an eyebrow. "Anything else?"

"See if there's any more whipped cream."

She winked at him and Niles's heart lurched. She looked so happy, and happy looked so good on her. Mr. Sheffiled was a damn fool.

It took all of Niles's willpower not to cross the room and take her in his arms. He wanted to kiss the back of her neck, the hollow of her throat, and the tip of her nose. His fingers itched to undo those few buttons so that his shirt fell open to reveal what was suggested beneath.

It would have been so easy, but Niles clamped down on the impulse. He wanted more than to just ravish her. Niles wanted to feed her, he wanted to take care of her, he wanted to watch her smile and laugh and be happy. He wanted to sit at the table with her and just love her like she'd never been loved before, with his heart as much as his body.

Niles knew she wasn't ready to hear the words and that they would frighten her. He was okay with that; he didn't need to say them. There'd be time enough to tell her he loved her. For now, he was content to just show her.


End file.
